A Storm's Brewing
by Foster WPL
Summary: My summary won't fit in the box. : Luckily for you, I've included it in the first chapter, so all you need to know before you click to read the summary is that it's Marauder's Era, and it's not AU. At least, I don't think it is... Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-** _The summary box isn't big enough for my full summary, which was actually one of my shortest. Here is my summary for this fic:- _

Being friends with the Marauders is one thing, but falling out with them is something entirely different. Renee Olivia Sadie Eden[aka Rose was best friends with the Marauders. So when Lily Evans plans a revenge, she's the one to help. But things are slowly changing, and Rose's illness is taking over. A storm's brewing...

_I apologise for the awful spacing._

_Disclaimer: Anyone/thing you recognise, I don't own. Everything else, I do. Apart from the poem. That's Dr Suess'. :)_

_So, sorry if this seems isn't seamless, but more will be explained in the next chappie. :) This plot bunny has been around for a looong time, so I thought I'd eventually get around to writing it up. And here it is!:)_

_P.S. This first chapter was written a year or so ago. My writing style has improved since then, I promise. This promise is mostly to me, for having to go through and edit out all of the horrendous spelling mistakes. (:_

The common room was virtually empty, with the fire almost dead, nothing was keeping many of the Gryffindor students up in the freezing temperatures the Common Room drops to after the fire burns out. The few sixth and seventh years that were up were crowding as close to the fire as they possibly could, and even they weren't great in numbers. So it was the perfect night to work, for four adventurous third years. Huddled to next to a window, they were pouring over several books and essays, each combating the chill from the open window in their own way.

Sirius Black was sat nonchalantly on a pouffe, wearing his thinnest robes, his curtain of hair covering his face. James Potter was lying across another pouffe, shivering vigorously, and Peter Pettigrew was wearing thick robes, curled up into a ball and whimpering. The fourth, and last, third year was sat on the window sill, her head stuck out of the window, gazing across the grounds to a moving figure. As she watched, it waved a large branch menacingly, before freezing.

It may have looked like it had frozen from the cold, but her sharp eyes picked out two small figures, hurrying into its shadows. Sitting back, satisfied, she took hold of the handle and started tugging it, trying in vain to shut the window. Her three friends ignored her, and Sirius only looked up when a sixth year swore at them to 'shut the -censored- window', to which he swivelled round and replied 'Peace man'. The sixth year looked, in all honesty, like he was going to come over and start shouting, so he pulled himself up onto the window ledge and dragged it shut.

The girl glared at him, before swinging down, her shoulder-length mouse-brown hair flying out behind her. It was only when she was seated, a blanket around her shoulders, that James spoke.

'Is he in then Rose?' he enquired calmly, flicking a pen lid at the chubbier boy shivering next to him.

'Yeah,' she sighed, her khaki-coloured eyes gleaming in the half-light. 'And don't call me Rose!' she added as an after-thought.

'Oh, sorry Miss Renee Olivia Sadie Eden,' he snorted. Peter joined in with his nervous little laugh, but spluttered to a stop a few seconds later when she threw an ink-filled quill at him.

'That's really not nice!' sighed Sirius, retrieving the quill and scrawling a couple of words onto a spare sheet of parchment with it.

'For gods _sake_ Sirius!' she exclaimed, seizing the parchment from him. 'It took me all of yesterday's lunch to copy that out and you've just gone and played Hangman all over the back!' It seemed that the spare sheet of parchment was, in fact, valuable research.

'You can rewrite it,' he pouted, holding his hand out for the parchment to be given to him.

'No Sirius, I can't! You may be the cleverest wizard in the year, but-' she stopped at a snort from James. 'Oh alright, _one_ of the cleverest wizards in the year, but so far, who's done all the work? How the hell are we supposed to do this for Remus if you won't even put in the effort. Peter's done more work than you have, and that's saying something, considering he's been writing sonnets the whole time!' She threw the parchment at him and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory, leaving Sirius, Peter and James alone.

They stared at each other blankly.

'I thought you said that it was just a phase she was going through?' James groaned slowly.

'_I_ didn't say that, it was Remus,' retaliated Sirius hotly.

'Well lets face it Sirius, she's been acting weirdly ever since second year! I mean, how long are these hormones going to have her like this for?! And besides, she can't have PMS _every_ day!' Sirius opened his mouth to retaliate, when Peter cleared his throat.

'Stop it you two! This isn't going to help!' he hissed.

'And what is, your poetry?' snapped Sirius.

'Well why not?' he asked. This simple question was enough to knock the wind out of both his and James' sails. They both shared a long suffering sigh.

'Go on then Pete,' sighed James, adjusting his position so as to hear better.

Peter obediently got to his feet and pulled out a piece of parchment.

'This is one I've just finished.' He cleared his throat again. The sixth years by the now dead fire, growled at the noise they were making.

'Title?' whispered Sirius.

'Hmm?'

'What's it called Peter?'

'I'd Like To Say I'm Sorry.' The other two boys listened carefully as Peter began to read out his latest poem in a soft, melodic voice.

'So you say she just ran out of the room? Without any provocations?'

'_Yes_ Moony, haven't you been listening?'

'Don't call me Moony!' Remus hissed, moving back to allow a gaggle of Hufflepuff Fifth years pass him on the stairs. They, apart from Rose, were on their way to breakfast the next morning, and Remus was struggling to get his head around the concept of this latest of outbursts.

'Why not? Just because we're not Animagus yet doesn't mean you can't have a nickname!' hissed Sirius back, smiling to a fellow third year, this time from Ravenclaw as she passed them along the corridor.

'I just don't get why she would snap without a provocation,' murmured Remus as they turned the corner towards the Grand Staircase.

'Well she didn't,' admitted James. 'She snapped because Sirius wrote on the back of a page of research on Animagi she'd written out.'

'Hi!' he added, to a group of fourth year Gryffindor girls. They looked at each other, before raising their eyebrows, but one winked. James was perfectly happy with this, and tuned back into the conversation.

'Why don't _you_ talk to her Moony, she always listens to you,' suggested Peter as he pushed open the doors to the Great Hall, and immediately apologised to the first year he'd accidentally knocked down.

'You will be!' she hissed, hurrying along to the Slytherin table, casting back filthy looks.

Remus sighed

'Alright. But I doubt she'll listen. I've run out of creative ways to get her to talk.'

'Well that's where Peter comes in,' beamed James, clapping him on the back as they made their way towards their spot at the table. 'He'll come with you and give her this poem. Once she's read it, she'll be all feminine and upset, and then you two can talk her around!' He gave them encouraging grins as they slowly headed off to where Rose was sitting, a few metres away from her normal seat.

'Although why we always have to apologise I don't know,' Sirius muttered darkly, as he watched Remus slide into the seat next to her.

'Well to be fair she did work pretty hard on that parchment. It's just your bad luck that that was the sheet she'd just finished. You know how protective she is of the new ones, especially with more information on them.' he announced, helping himself to a bowl of cereal.

'Umm. I suppose,' Sirius muttered, taking a rasher of bacon and dumping it onto his plate.

'Toast?' James asked cheerfully, proffering the platter.

'Please,' Sirius said, never taking his eyes off of Remus, Peter and Rose, who was listening to Peter read off a sheet of parchment.

'What's his poem like?' Sirius asked, realising that he hadn't heard it.

'I have no idea. He's making it up as he goes along. You know how much better his poetry is when it's spur of the moment,' replied James cheerfully, liberally buttering his toast. 'What was that Rawlings? The bacon?' Sirius sighed as James handed his fellow housemate the bacon, and went on eating. Rose was watching him now, and when he met her eye, she smiled nervously. At an encouraging look from Remus, he mouthed 'Sorry', although it surprised him how much he begrudged doing it. She mouthed it back and he nodded, going back to eating, wondering why this 'phase' was lasting so long.

It had started in second year, when she'd thrown a book at James, after he'd made a rather sexist comment about girls, and had continued up to this very day. It happened every fortnight or so, and was very tedious. She never really blew up though, and they'd always just accepted it as her way to vent her frustrations as being the only female in the group.

'What's first?' James asked, oblivious to the thoughts rushing through his best friends head.

'Double Herbology with the Ravenclaws.'

'Ugh. And then?'

'I don't know, look at your own timetable,' sighed Sirius, getting up.

'I know we have Potions last,' announced a female voice behind them. They both whirled around, expecting to see Rose, but she was chatting happily to Peter, no doubt about poetry. Remus was nodding along fervently. Definitely poetry.

'Excellent!' beamed James. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

'Excellent?' he asked, at the same time as the female, a petite red-head.

'Snivellus,' James stated, by way of reply. Lily Evans rolled her eyes, and pushed a book into her bag, before rejoining her friends and walking off to her next lesson, leaving Sirius and James with their heads together, plotting excitedly.

'You coming?' asked a voice behind them. They both jumped. Sirius was first to recover.

'Why Remus, what a deep voice you have!' he mock-announced.

'All the better to scare you with,' he replied in a growly voice far too deep for his slim throat.

'Where are Rose and Peter?' James asked, leading the way out into the Entrance Hall.'

'They went ahead. They were talking about some new type of poetry. Peter was getting her to explain it. It's some Muggle sort. Highly confusing. Hikoies, or something.'

'Wow. Remus I-have-no-idea-what-your-middle-name-is Lupin, a type of poetry you don't know. You shock me!' gasped Sirius, jumping over a flowerbed and onto the dirt track leading to the green houses.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:- **I originally had this and Chapter 1 as one long one. But as I need to type up the next chapter (that's hoping that I've written it, I can't remember) I thought I'd split it for you. Review love please?

They caught up with Rose and Peter just outside the greenhouses, and they started chatting animatedly about exactly what they would stage in Potions.  
We'll mix it in my cauldron,' offered Sirius.  
'And I'll do the distraction,' announced Peter.  
'I'll take the Gillyweed from Sluggy's store,' whispered Remus, as everyone swarmed into Greenhouse 2.  
'And I'll fetch the Boomslang Teeth,' muttered James, as Professor Ginger started the register.  
'And I'll get the Mimbletonia leaves,' beamed Rose, as she stepped forward for talking.   
'Once you've quite finished, Ms, Eden, I shall proceed to inform the class what it is we are doing. Or shall I let you completely take over this class and allow you to inform your peers?' snapped Professor Ginger, a wizened old lady with fuzzy grey hair.  
'No. I'll let you- I mean, I'm really sorry Miss. I won't talk again,' apologised Rose. The teacher sniffed.  
'Very well. You may sit back down.' Rose turned around, and as she did so, winked, showing her friends the small leaves she had managed to pluck during the telling off. 

They all emerged from the lesson two hours later, grubby little specimens.   
'Thank god it's break! I need to change my robes!' groaned Rose, hurrying inside the castle. Sirius hurried after her, intent on changing his as well, leaving Remus, James and Peter on their own.   
'So how are you going to distract Sluggy and Snivellus whilst Sirius tips it into Snivellus' cauldron?' asked James, as they sat down underneath their favourite oak tree, ignoring a group of Gryffindors in their year playing Truth or Dare a few metres away.  
'I was thinking a poem,' mused Peter. 'But I'll need peace to write it. It has to be pretty good to keep everyone distracted.'  
'Tell you what, how about we leave you here whilst we go off nicking Sluggy's ingredients, mate?' asked James, leaping to his feet. Remus clambered to his feet, and Peter watched them both disappear into the castle, James bouncing along, and Remus limping slowly. 

Pulling out a sheet of parchment, he gazed thoughtfully at it, before pulling out a quill and ink and beginning. When everyone rendezvoused ten minutes later, he got to his feet, clearing his throat, as typical when he was about to read his poetry; Sirius and Rose, donning clean robes listened calmly, whilst James and Remus busily packed away their liberal supply of Gillyweed and Boomslang Teeth.  
_'I did not kill my lovely wife.  
I did not slash her with a knife.  
I did not bonk her on the head.  
I did not know that she was dead.-'_. He broke off as the bell rang.  
' Considering by the first verse you've surpassed yourself again Peter!' laughed Rose, slapping him on the back. 'You'll be star of the show!' And with that they all climbed to their feet and went inside for Transfigurations. 

'The instructions are on the board. I do not expect anyone to make a perfect Permanent Sticking Charm, but I'm expecting a very close result from some of you, eh Lily?' Lily Evans blushed as Professor Slughorn clapped his massive hand down onto her shoulder.  
'Mimbletonia leaves?' asked Sirius. Rose dropped them into the Potion.  
'You stir. I need to get my wand out,' he whispered.  
'Sirius that's disgusting!' she gasped, stirring the contents with the ladle.  
'Right, I reckon we have about five seconds after we add these drops to pour it into Snape's cauldron and do the hex. You'd better start now Peter,' whispered James, holding a small, translucent bottle in his hands. Peter stood up and cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him. He took a deep breath in, and leapt out from behind his cauldron. 

_**'I did not kill my lovely wife.  
I did not slash her with a knife.  
I did not bonk her on the head.  
I did not know that she was dead.'**_ he moaned, doing appropriate actions. Slughorn stared at him incredulously.  
_'I'm sorry_?' he asked. Peter ignored him. 

_**'I stayed at home that fateful night.  
I took a cab, then took a flight.  
The bag I had was just for me.  
My bag. My bag. Hey, leave it be.'**_ He mimed getting into a cab, which was actually his empty cauldron. Holding out his arms for his school bag, Rose handed it to him, watching Sirius out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't moving. Snape was still adding ingredients.  
'Step it up a notch,' she whispered. 

_**'When I came home, I had a gash.**_' he moaned, waving his hand about. Remus handed him a red ink filled quill, which he gleefully used before carrying on.  
_**'My hand was cut from broken glass.'**_ The offensive hand was gesticulating fiercely.  
_**'I cut my hand on broken glass.'**_  
'My dear boy, I hardly think this appropriate,' spluttered Slughorn.  
_**'A broken glass did cause that gash,'**_ wailed Peter in a spectacularly whiny voice.  
'A little stronger,' whispered Rose. Snape was still adding ingredients in, whereas everyone else was watching Peter. 

_**'I have nothing, nothing to hide.'**_ he wailed, hurrying over to Snape.  
_**My friend he took me for a ride,'**_ he moaned, gesturing to Snape. Snape looked up at him in shock. Peter whirled away, thoroughly enjoying this.  
_**'Did you take this person's life?  
Did you do it with a knife?'**_ he reprimanded himself sternly. 

_**'I did not do it with a knife.  
I did not, could not kill my wife.'**_ he howled, weeping into Snape's shoulder. Snivellus leapt up, and Sirius inched his cauldron closer.  
_**'I did not do this awful crime.  
I could not, would not anytime.**_' Peter shrieked, chasing Snape to the other side of the dungeon. 

Slughorn seemed to have accepted the drama, and was watching curiously. The whole class was in stitches, barring Snape, whose sallow cheeks were flushed. 

_**'Did you hit her from above?  
Did you drop this bloody glove?**_' Peter asked angrily, waving a scarf he'd borrowed from a Gryffindor in Snape's face. 

_**'I did not hit her from above.  
I cannot even wear that glove.**_' he screeched, wrapping the scarf around his hand. Sirius chose his moment, dumping the contents into Snape's potion and tipping the whole bottle into it with it, before pulling out his wand. 

_**'I did not do it with a knife.**_' he wept, brandishing a silver knife at Snape, who was backing away, to his cauldron  
_**'I did not, could not kill my wife.  
I did not do this awful crime.  
I could not, would not anytime.'**_

BOOM. Everyone screamed as the cauldron exploded. Snape stood still in amazement, as the most glorious, thick, sticky gloop anyone had ever seen covered him from head to foot. The gloop cascaded everywhere, and, in the midst of it all, Peter joined his hands together, ankle-deep in the gloop, put on his most demure face and recited the last verse sweetly, an innocent smile on his face. 

_**'And now I'm free, I can return  
To my small house, for which I yearn,'**_ he hoisted himself up into his cauldron.  
_**'And to family whom I love,'**_ he sang, wrapping his arms around Remus and James.  
_**'So now I'm free, give back my glove.'**_

There was raucous applause as Proffessor Slughorn bit back his smile. The Gryffindor scarf he'd been substituting as a glove came sailing over everyone's head and landed in front of him. Climbing out of his cauldron, he picked it up, and bowed.  
'Scourgify!' The gloop disappeared from everyone apart from Snape.  
After several more Scourgify attempts, Proffessor Slughorn sent him down to the Hospital wing, before congratulating Peter on his poetry and acting, and Sirius on his potion making skills. 

'I suppose you added the final ingredient of his potion in before you put in your own little concoction, eh?' he asked jovially. 'Permanent Sticking Charms are powerful things!' 

'That was brilliant Peter!'  
'Did you make it up yourself?'  
'You're such a good actor!' 

It was ten o'clock in the Gryffindor Common Room, and everyone was crowding around Peter. He'd already performed his piece several times, and now people were clamouring for another viewing.  
'Why don't you let him do another poem?' suggested Remus faintly. The crowd agreed to this, and sat down obediently whilst Peter selected a few volunteers to help him. Rose watched from her seat as Sirius and James were roped in. She sighed as she watched them. Remus joined them after a couple of minutes, and after several highly attractive girls begging to be co-star, their little play set off, Peter talking only in prose, a couple of others with rhyming sentences, and the rest of the cast over-acting to compensate for the lack of poetry on their behalf. 

Sirius was among those rhyming, whilst James was busily over acting with Remus. She shook her head as Peter offered her a part.  
'No thanks'. She felt weird as she watched a group of second years gazing up at them all adoringly. No doubt they got on perfectly well with each other. So why was it that she couldn't stand her friends anymore? Certainly, she got along fine with them a lot of the time, but then there were the times when she wished that they were non-existent, the times when she cried herself to sleep. 

She knew it was mostly her fault. She wasn't being a very good friend. Whenever they fell out, they always apologised, and she accepted it, but really, it felt like it should be her apologising. The last time she'd fallen out with James she'd given him a black eye, and when she fell out with Peter his arm had been broken. She didn't mean to be violent, and they knew that, but she wasn't sure whether sometimes they forgot. Especially Sirius. She watched as he twirled James around and struck a dramatic pose, his hair whirling, his face a picture of concentration. He'd been the first to understand, but now... 

The illness was swallowing her up. It wasn't fair. She'd not had a hallucination since she was eight, but still everyone was over-careful. Her parents had accepted it. Moving back to England from a country she'd spent just under half her life in had been hard, and the hallucinations terrifying. A few months after they'd settled in in England, they'd left, but in their place was a violence that unleashed itself whenever she was angry. 

But it was odd, this illness of hers. It only kicked in when she really wasn't happy, and lately she was waking up. She was maturing, and, naturally, wanted some girl friends. After all, they would be able to relate to her. They tended to grasp concepts better, than, say James. Sometimes she felt like no one could relate to her. She'd had outbursts for a year now, and each time she prepared herself a little more for the split that was inevitable, each time conversing more with the girls in her dorm. The last time they'd fallen out they'd done nothing for a week, and Rose had found it fun with the other girls. She was gradually spending more time with them. 

And Remus, Sirius, James and Peter were subconsciously preparing themselves as well. They no longer spent lunch with her, and they were slowly forming a tighter group, slowly pushing her away, and Rose knew it was all her fault. She encouraged it, and now she knew that the storm brewing was closer than ever. But it was closer than even she realised...


End file.
